ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.
Listen "Leading With Empathy And The Power Of Facilitation | Path To CPO | Episode 11"
Episode Synopsis
Join Chris Chesterman (Head of Sales, HowNow) as he speaks to Aki Friedrich, Director of Learning Experience at Superside.
They discuss the importance of following your curiosity and creativity, the facilitation skills he picked up from teaching German, lessons from stepping into internal leadership roles, and much more.
Book a demo of HowNow: https://hubs.la/Q01RWy9P0Download your FREE Death of the LMS guide: https://hubs.la/Q01RWyMr0
See HowNow in action! Sign up for a live walkthrough: https://hubs.la/Q01RWzht0
Running order
0:00 Intro to Aki and his career journey
5:56 Confidence from performing experiences
7:29 Lessons from teaching German
11:52 Skills from high-growth period
15:03 Lessons from a career win
17:14 Leading with empathy
20:48 The influence of learning experiences
23:11 Understanding business context
25:25 Lessons from things that didn’t go as planned
28:32 Advice to new leaders
31:18 Quickfire questions
Find Aki on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akifriedrich/
Find Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-chesterman/
They discuss the importance of following your curiosity and creativity, the facilitation skills he picked up from teaching German, lessons from stepping into internal leadership roles, and much more.
Book a demo of HowNow: https://hubs.la/Q01RWy9P0Download your FREE Death of the LMS guide: https://hubs.la/Q01RWyMr0
See HowNow in action! Sign up for a live walkthrough: https://hubs.la/Q01RWzht0
Running order
0:00 Intro to Aki and his career journey
5:56 Confidence from performing experiences
7:29 Lessons from teaching German
11:52 Skills from high-growth period
15:03 Lessons from a career win
17:14 Leading with empathy
20:48 The influence of learning experiences
23:11 Understanding business context
25:25 Lessons from things that didn’t go as planned
28:32 Advice to new leaders
31:18 Quickfire questions
Find Aki on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akifriedrich/
Find Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-chesterman/
More episodes of the podcast L&D Disrupt
Beyond the Algorithm: Why the Future of Learning Is Still Human | L&D Disrupt | Episode 96
19/10/2025
Talent in Times of Change: Aligning People and Business for Success | L&D Disrupt | Episode 94
22/09/2025
In God we trust